Lord: Race hate duty of leaders
LORD HERMAN OUSELEY has called on English football’s leaders to show that they can bring about “lasting change” in the fight for racial equality.
Mirror Sport revealed yesterday (see website screengrab, below) that the 73-year-old chairman of Kick It Out is to stand down, 25 years after setting up the anti-racism body.
Lord Ouseley is understood to have made his intention to finally quit clear around a month ago.
He wants the FA and the Premier League to do more to protect players after Raheem Sterling was abused at Chelsea last weekend.
Lord Ouseley said: “I have thrown challenges at the leaders in football and they need to show their hands.
“They need to show they are capable of bringing about lasting change if they all come together out of their silos and take a dynamic and coherent approach to meeting the equality challenges.
“Recent progress across the game in pursuing equalities for all is offset by the wider society afflictions of prejudice and hatred.
“What happened at Chelsea shows what is still going on in football.
“We do not have any leadership at the top of the game to speak out, they just rely on Kick it Out.”
FA chairman Greg Clarke said: “Herman’s tireless work in the pursuit of equality and fairness in football is something we can all take inspiration from.”